The True Cost of War

How many years has the US been engaged in war in Afghanistan?

a) ten years
b) twelve years
c) sixteen years

If you guessed c) you're correct.

The war in Afghanistan stands as the longest war the US has ever been engaged in.

How much money has the US spent in that war?

a) $500 billion
b) $1.7 trillion
c) $300 billion

If you guessed b) you're correct.

How about the war in Iraq? As you may recall the US entered that war shortly after 9/11 and stayed until 2011.

How much money did the Iraq war cost us?

a) $1.06 trillion
b) $867 billion
c) $467 billion

If you guessed a) you're correct.

Taken together, these two wars cost the US over $2.7 trillion dollars.

President Trump's proposed 2019 budget asks for $686 billion for the Department of Defense. That's more than the next ten largest spenders combined. Including China ($216B) and Russia ($84.5B).

The fact is, it takes a lot of money to wage a war.

But that's just one aspect of the cost. How about deaths?

During Operation Enduring Freedom, from Oct. 2001 to Dec. 2014, a total of 2,216 US soldiers died. Another 20,092 were injured around/in Afghanistan.

During Operation Iraqui Freedom, from Mar. 2003 through Aug. 2010, some 3,224 US soldiers died. Another 31, 957 were injured. That's over 5,400 soldiers dead and 50,000 injured.

These figures don't include civilian casualties.

According to Iraqi Body Count there have been between 180,000 and 202,000 documented civilian deaths.

The Washington Post has reported that there have been over 26,000 civilian deaths in Afghanistan since the US began war there.

That's a total of over 200,000 civilian deaths.

But there's other costs as well.

Money spent on war doesn't get spent on education.

Money spent on war doesn't get spent on health care.

Money spent on war doesn't get spent on social services.

According to the US Census there are over 327 million people living in the US.

If the $2.7 trillion spent on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq had been given to people living in the US, each person would have received $8,256. That's about $33,000 for a family of four!

There are almost 51 million K-12 public school students in the US. That same $2.7 trillion spent two wars would result in over $52,000 per child! Just think of what that kind of money could do to enhance our public education system! With that kind of funding the US could easily lead the world in per capita education spending. And public school teachers wouldn't have to continue to purchase essential supplies - like books, paper and pencils - out of their own pockets.

(On an international scale, the cost of US war activities is even greater. Nicholas Kristoff writes: "The US has invested enormously in the military toolbox to reshape the world, but it has systematically underinvested in the education toolbox. The tradeoffs are substantial: For the cost of deploying one US soldier abroad for a year we can start at least 20 schools.")

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, heart disease is the top cause of death in the US, followed closely by cancer. Together these two diseases result in over 1.2 million deaths a year. The National Cancer Institute has a budget of around $8.6B. In FY 2017 the budget for heart disease research was around $1.3B. Just think of the amount of groundbreaking research that could have been funded and cures found with just a portion of the $2.7 trillion spent on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

How about infrastructure?

The American Society of Civil Engineers estimates $4.6 trillion is needed to fix our nation's bridges roads, airports and water and sewer systems. Think about how much smoother and safer your car commute would be if a portion of the funds used on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq had been made available? Not to mention increased productivity tied to improved road transportation. Along with improved water safety (Flint isn't the only city with significant challenges to its water supply).

The true answer to the cost of war isn't easy to assess. And especially in light of the two most current wars the US has engaged in (Afghanistan and Iraq) the results are far from worth it. Neither country is politically stable or safe, and in fact, a case could be made that, politically, the US intervention, especially in Iraq, has only served to eviscerate the country. *

It's clearly eye-opening to view our country's defense expenditures in light of other social problems that would be readily fixable with additional resources.

As the saying goes: Fear is expensive.

In the meanwhile, consider contacting your elected congressional representatives to ask them why we're involved in wars that have not received congressional authorization. Track them on their voting records for funding of social service programs and humanitarian relief. Ask them to explain to you the benefits of military authorizations to the countries where we are supporting war efforts. Additionally, here are a wide variety of international organizations that are currently providing humanitarian relief in Syria, Iraq and advocating for relief in Yemen. A simple Google search will call up their information so you can check them out and donate.

Photo Credit: top KatinaSilver on DeviantArt

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* The same holds true in the countries of Syria and Yemen which are both facing humanitarian crises. In Yemen US armaments are being used, purchased from Saudi Arabia. In Syria US troops remain on the ground, despite no authorization from Congress. What are the results of US intervention? According to Mercy Corps, 6.1 million Syrians are living displaced within Syria, while 5.6 million have fled the country. At this point, 63 percent of Syrian's entire population are refugees - either within their country or outside of it. For all practical purposes, for these 11.7 million people, the country of Syria doesn't exist.

Faith in Transition

“The Christian life — ​and especially the contemplative life — ​is a continual discovery of Christ in new and unexpected places.” -Thomas Merton


With over a year into Trump’s presidency and three months into my own search for a new church home, this is what I believe:

I believe in God. A personal being. Someone who can be known and understood by what God created.

I respect the Bible greatly, but I don’t feel it contains all of who God is. There is more of God to know and experience outside of the Bible, or any book for that matter. Spiritual growth isn’t dependent upon a book, it’s dependent upon relationship.

The Bible contains many good things about God. And it’s helpful in understanding who God is. But I don’t feel the pressure to believe that it is one hundred percent literal. The Bible is full of beautiful, thought-provoking allegories and metaphors that lose their power to explain abstract meanings if we always take scripture at face value.

For example, Jesus said to Nichodemus (who was a Pharisee) that "unless one is born again, a person cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3). Nichodemus, who as a Pharisee, was prone to interpret spiritual things literally. So he had a hard time understanding how a human could be born twice. Jesus explains: "unless one is born of water and the Spirit, they cannot enter the kingdom of God."

Some faith-streams take Jesus' remarkable statement literally, viewing baptism only as a requirement. A stamp on our spiritual passport so to speak. But maybe the point isn't the passport, it's the journey? What if Jesus was speaking metaphorically? That is, what if he were using water as a metaphor for a cleansing or washing away of an old way of thinking? And what if the Spirit signified spiritual renewal? So, in combination, the water and the Spirit became a bridge from literal (linear) thinking into a different spiritual dimension altogether? 

I believe that one of the main points Jesus made is that God pays more attention to our heart than to what religion we follow. In other words, true religion (just like the prophet Micah says) is bound up in doing justice, loving mercy and walking humbly with God. Not in adhering to a particular dogma.

I believe that humility is very important to God. In fact, I see humility as one of the cornerstones of a relationship with God. Trust requires humility. I struggle with trust when I’m trying to control a situation or an outcome. Believing that I or my particular brand of faith have the answers to all of life's challenges is the exact opposite of walking humbly with God. Similarly, the more insecure I am in my belief the most insistent I’ll be that everyone should believe and behave exactly as I do.

I believe that my own particular religion is not the only pathway to God.

Fundamentalism doesn’t make sense to me if you consider the diversity of God’s creation and the diversity of the human race. There are thousands of languages and people groups across the world. There are thousands of cultures on the earth. This would make it impossible for humans to agree on a single way to reach God this side of heaven. We would need divine intervention (the second coming?) to achieve agreement on a single, universal faith. 

It doesn’t make sense that God would condemn anyone to hell simply because they couldn’t muster up the faith to believe that Jesus is the only way to heaven. We aren’t smart enough to fully comprehend eternity, let alone God. People who condemn others who don’t share their faith vision may actually be committing the sin of pride.

You can’t trust someone that you don’t love. How can you freely love someone who has the potential to condemn you to eternal hell; especially considering humans are unable to fully comprehend eternity? The human race is notoriously short-sighted.

Curiously, I’m finding that during this time of transitioning to a new church home, I’m becoming increasingly grateful.

I’m grateful for the grace from God to have found the Saturday night gathering I’ve been attending since November, 2017.

I’m grateful for the assistant pastor who runs it and for the people who regularly attend.

I’m grateful for the welcome I’ve received there.

I’m grateful for the neighborhood church I’ve been attending on Sundays for fostering a truly welcoming atmosphere.

Most of all I am grateful to God for continuing to protect, guide and speak to me through others.

Photo Credits: top - lifehopeandtruth.com, middle - shekclifestylecom, bottom - hallelujah.co.ke

How's Your Lent Going?

We're currently in the middle of the Lenten season. A season of sacrifice.

According to Merriam-Webster's dictionary, sacrifice is defined as "destruction or surrender of something for the sake of something else; something given up or lost."

As a kid, I attended a parochial school where the Immaculate Heart of Mary sisters asked the million dollar question: What are you going to give up for Lent in order to be closer to God?

Chocolate and candy always came to the top of the list.

Observant Catholics also gave up meat on Fridays - to help us think of the sacrifice Jesus gave on Good Friday. This was mandatory. But still a sacrifice, especially if you didn't happen to like fish sticks or tuna fish.

It wasn't until high school that I remember other nuns suggesting that you could also DO something for Lent, not just give something up.

Like practicing being kind, or helping others.

That was a huge revelation, opening the door to a deeper exploration of sacrifice.

In the book of Micah, God is having a conversation with the people of Israel. He asks a hypothetical question: "Should I come before the Lord with burnt offerings...will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, ten thousand rivers of oil?"

God answers the question this way: "He has shown you what is good. And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with your God. " (Micah 6:6-8).

The first type of sacrifice seems to focus on giving up something we have - rams, oil, material possessions.

But God is telling his people that what he's looking for goes beyond material possessions.

It's a sacrifice that's harder.

Doing justice - we're being called to go beyond weekend services in synagogues, mosques and churches. To show up and actively become involved in social justice.

For people living in the 21st century that looks like standing beside refugees and immigrants and supporting them in practical ways. It looks like standing with people of color when they stand up against oppression.  It looks like feeding the hungry, housing the homeless.

Doing justice is a lot more complicated that giving up chocolate!

What is 'loving mercy?'

Could it be looking for the good in others? Extending forgiveness? Not putting our own needs first? Isn't mercy the social lubricant that allows us to do justice in the first place? Because mercy becomes our first response. Our world view. An ingrained part of our thought process towards others.

And what about walking humbly?

Humility allows space for someone else. For another point of view. Humility helps us realize we aren't the center of the universe.

Keeping all of this in mind, you could make a case that true sacrifice requires suffering. Being uncomfortable at times. Going without, or sharing. Not giving in to fear when faced with the unfamiliar. Being willing to admit fear in the first place.

Maybe the call of Lent is actually a call not to deny as much as to grow.

Given all this, what are some practical things we can do to make Lent meaningful?

- Have a conversation with a neighbor you don't know. You could begin by smiling and saying, "Hello!"
- Get to know your elected representatives better by researching their stance on immigration and refugee settlement. Write or call them to encourage efforts that promote kindness and compassion.
- Research organizations that are already providing aid and comfort to those in need, locally seek volunteer opportunities; internationally, consider making a donation.

As Mother Teresa once encouraged, you don't have to go very far to find someone in need.

Helen Fox Gospel Music Center

Helen Fox

Tucked away in an unassuming corner of the Douglass Community Association on Kalamazoo’s inner-city Northside neighborhood is the Helen Fox Gospel Music Center.

The Center was established about one-and-a-half years ago to honor Helen’s memory, with a mission to teach music to children from low-income families, the vast majority being African-American. Helen passed away in 2016 at 96 years of age after more than five decades as a music educator and community mobilizer.

“She was very well known on the Northside,” begins Bridget Tucker Gonder, the Center’s president.

“She loved music and she loved teaching,” says Joseph Fox, her son, who serves as the Center’s vice-president.

“Education was important to her,” adds Gonder. 

So much so that Helen, married and with children, went back to school to get her high school diploma at fifty years of age. 

Eventually Helen began teaching music in a local junior high school. But she also took her lessons on the road, offering to teach children in their homes. At one point, Helen regularly took the Greyhound bus into neighboring Battle Creek to teach children there as well. 

“The bus driver knew my mother very well,” laughs Joseph.

Joseph recalled his mother as being committed, energetic and determined. “She didn’t make excuses [for not tackling a challenge],” agreed Gonder.

And that determination is being passed on  to students through Bertha Barbee-McNeal, one of the instructors at the Center, who taught for twenty-six years in the Kalamazoo Public School system.

“If you have a talent, you should give back,” she says. 

Barbee-McNeal notes that the Center is forging relationships with the greater music community in Kalamazoo, through the Gilmore International Keyboard Festival, Kalamazoo Symphony and the Stulberg International String Festival.

Helen Fox (right) with students

The Center has two other instructors, Alexis Terrian, and Devin McGowan, who both teach violin.

Joseph points out that, currently, there aren’t any African-American members in the Kalamazoo Youth Symphony. But the Helen Fox Gospel Music Center is actively working to change that.

Barbee-McNeal’s dream is “to grow [the Center] into an academy with all instruments being taught, along with vocals, including Gospel and choir.”

Joseph’s dream includes the Center eventually having its own free-standing building.

The Center began with four students, but currently has fifteen. Most of the students live in or near the Northside of the city, where ninety percent of the children attending public school are eligible for the free or reduced lunch program.

Because of this economic reality, Bridget points out that the Center has a pay-what-you-can-afford policy. 

“We operate [mostly] on donations and grants,” says Joseph, who adds, “When you’ve been given a vision it’s important to bring it to pass. I don’t sing. I don’t play an instrument. But I’m a big supporter of my mother’s work.”

For additional background information on the Helen Fox Gospel Music Center, visit their website:
http://www.hlfgmc.org/

If you’d like to support the work of the Center, you can send donations to: Helen Fox Gospel Music Center, PO Box 2621, Portage, MI 49081. The Center is also looking for donations of violins and other instruments. For more information about the Center, you can call 269.365-2826.